Pinball amusement game



June 11, 1935.

H. G. BREITENSTEIN PINBALL AMUSEMENT GAME Filed Jan'. 16, 1935 17TH/@w70 lf2 E? dal@ Patented June 11, 1935 PINBALL AMUSEMENT GAME Herbert G. Breitenstein, Chicago, Ill., assigner to Raymond T. Moloney, Chicago, Ill.

Application January 16, 1935, Serial No. 2,078

7 Claims.

The invention relates to an improvement for use in connection with amusement games of skill of the pin ball type. l

These games embody a play board, or table, in- 5 clined slightly from the horizontal to provide a surface over which free balls are rolled to drop into, or through, holes formed in the board. A projector serves to roll the balls, one at a time, through a passage to be guided to a yieldl able, or spring bumper from which the balls rebound to roll by gravitation down thesloped board to be received by the holes. L

I In the present invention this rebound bumper is placed at the entrance to a ball passageway and normally is disposed to obstruct the entrance to said passageway. However, in the event a skilfully projected ball is dropped through a certain control hole, a mechanism, which is preferably electrically operated and ball controlled, is operative to swing, or move, the rebound bumper from its normal position to ex- I pose or Vopen the entrance to the passageway associated therewith to enablea subsequently projected ball to pass the bumper and enter the said passageway for movement to an area on the board having score holes of a high value.

The main object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a yieldable or resilient rebound bumper which is movable from a position closing the entrance to a ball passageway to a position opening said entrance for the reception of a subsequently played ball.

Another object is to provide a ball controlled electrically actuated mechanism for moving said rebound bumper.

Still another object is to associate with the bumper, means actuated directly by a ball entering the opened passageway to move the rebound bumper back to entrance closing position.

These and other objects, may be attained in practice by the illustrative example of the invention shown in the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a general plan view of a pin ball game embodying the improved rebound bumper and control mechanism therefor;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal, central sectional view through the game taken along the line 2`2 of Figure l, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is an enlarged, detail plan view, with a portioncof the game board broken away, to illustrate the spring bumper in its normal passageway closing position; 4

Figure 4 is a similar view showing the bumper moved to passageway opening position; and,

Figure 5 is a vertical, longitudinal, detaill sectional view through the bumper and its operating mechanism taken along the line 5 5 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

The game comprises the usual rectangular box I0 having a front wall II, in which box is supported a play board I2 sloped slightly from the horizontal with its lower end adjacent the front wall II. The opentop of the box is closed by a glass panel I3. Along the right hand side of the board I2 is a longitudinal partition I4 forming a ball projection passageway I5 at the lower end of which is a ball projector I6 mounted in the front wall II. VThe-upper end of the board is provided with a rounded edge Il forming means to guide projected ballsto a spring bumper element I8 from which balls may rebound to the top end of the :board for gravitation downhill. I

Balls gravitating in this fashion may be trapped by any one of a number of holes I 9 formed through the board I2. Balls lodged in these holes are supported in the usual way by a `shiftably mounted under panel 2D having holes 2I formed therethrough in offset relation withrespect to* the upper holes I9. Balls missing the holes I 9 gravitate to arslot 22 at the lower edge of the board where they remain for the time being supported by the lower edge of the panel 20 in an obvious and well known manner. f Below the panel 20 the cabinet carries a sloped ball routing panel 23 which is stationary and functions, as will presently appear, to direct released balls to a transverse trough 24 which is inclined toward the right hand side of the box to be ldelivered into a ball lift groove 25V formed in the adjacent wall of the box from whence, in a well `known manner they may be lifted one at a` time, by a lifter 26 from the trough 24 tol a position in the lower end of the passageway I5 to be projected by the projector I6, said lifter being manually actuated in the usual way, by a plunger 2l carried in the front 'wall II of the box I0.

The front wall of the box also carries a coin release slide 28 the inner end of which is adapted to abut a bracket 29 formed adjacent the lower edge of the panel 20 whereby to push the said panel 20 rearwardly to register the holes 2| therein with the holes I9 in the play board I2 to cause the balls to be released and to drop onto therouting panel 23 for delivery to the trough 24. Balls in the slot 22 in the same manner are released to fall on an inclined member 3D for delivery to the trough 24.

e, resilient hairpin member having its legs secured Uli At the left hand edge of the board I2 is a longitudinal partition 3| forming a passageway 32 that may leadto a curved deflector 33, or other means for directing a ball for movement over the board to be trapped by any suitably placed hole or other ball trap of a high scoring value. Balls lodging in the pocket formed by this deflector 33 are received by a slot 34 from whence they may be released in the manner described by shifting the ball release panel 20. v

The bumper i8 heretofore described comprises in the present embodiment of the inventionpa to collars 35 movable with a vertical shaft 36 journaled in a bearing 3'! carried in the board I2. Alsoi mounted on the shaft 36 toY turn therewith is an angularly related trip leg 38 adapted to seat in a notch 39 formed in the adjacent face of the partition, it being noted that the shaft 36 is positioned just to the rear of the rear end of said partition 3l.

A VSaid shaft 3B projects downwardly a distance below the board vI2 where it carries Xed thereto a collar lll! including a crank arm 4I having its free end slotted as at 42'to slidably receive a pin 43 for pivotally connecting said crank 4I with the armature 44 of a solenoid 45 carried by arbracket 46 on the under side of the board l2. Y

Near the upper end of the board I2 is formed alcontrol'hole 4'! below which on the panel 23 is mounted a channel member 48 carrying a flat spring switch member 49 adapted to receive a ball falling through the hole`4'I to contact the same with another nat spring conductor member 50 to momentarily establish or close an electric circuit including awire I connected between the contact memb'er and albattery 52 appropriately carried onthe floor 530i" the box Ill. Another wire 54 connects between the switch member 49 and the solenoid 45 while another Wire 55 connects between the battery 52 and solenoid 45 as shown. lin starting the game play the coin slide 28 is actuated to slide'or shift thepanel 20 as described to release Vall balls for return to the 'trough 24 from whence they are lifted to position to be proje'cted by the projector I6. These projected balls roll to the upper end of the board and along the track I1, if sufficient force is used, to engage the spring bumperV I8 which is normally in a position obstructing the entrance to the passageway 32. Consequentlythe ball hits said bumper and resiliently is rebounded therefrom to the high end of the board for gravitation theredown possibly to be caught by the score holesv Ii! or the slot 22 in aA manner well understood in the art. Shoulda skilfully directed ball be dropped through the hole'lll, said ball will be received in the channel member 48 to close the spring contact switch therein to establish an electric circuit, as Vdescribed, for energizing the solenoid 45. Thereupon the armature 44 pulls forwardly on the crank 4I to rock the shaft 35 to swing the bumper spring I8 from the passage closing position of Figure 3 to passage opening position as shown in Figure fl. 'Thereupon a subsequently played ball directed 'to the bumper engages'the trip leg 38 which then swings back against the wall 3l, and in its notch 3S, to permit the ball to move down the passage 32. As the trip arm so moves, the bumper spring I 8 is swung back to passage closing lposition -in an obvious manner.V

The ball rolling down said passage 32 is deiiected by the deflector 33 back onto the'board in the directionvof any suitable holes or the like having high score values. The controliball that fell through the hole 41 by this time has rolled out of the channel 48 so that the spring contacts automatically separate to break the circuit to the solenoid, the control ball now rolling down the Y panel 23 for return to the trough 24.

When a ball rolls past the trip leg 38 into the passage 32 the movement of the bumper I8 back to passage closing position is utilized through turning of the shaft 36 to pull the armature 44 through the crank` 4l, out of the solenoid as Vshown in Figure 3 to reset the same fora sub- -sequent operation as will be readily understood.

It is the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the ball controlled, automatically moved bumper rebound spring, and its association with pin ball, or the like, game structures as herein particularly illustrated, for obviously the bumper may assume various forms and be employed in varying relationships and organizations without departing from the invention.

lWhat is claimed is:

1. In a game of thev class described having a play board inclined from the horizontal and provided with ball receiving holes, a projector for rolling ballsv onto the board, a movably mounted resilient member operatively associated with the board to be hit by projected balls so that they rebound therefrom for gravitation toward said holes, and means controlled by the projection of a ball to move'said resilient member out of the path of movement of a subsequently projected ball to prevent such ball from rebounding therefrom.

2. In a vgame of the class described having a play board inclined from the horizontal and provided with ball receiving holes, a projector for rolling balls onto the-board, a movably mounted resilientmember operativelyassociated with the boardto berhit by projected balls so that they rebound therefrom for gravitation toward said holes, andmeans controlled by the dropping Vof a ball through' a certain other hole formed through the board to move said resilient member out ofthe path of movement of a subsequently projected. ball to prevent such ball from rebounding therefrom. Y

3. In a 'game of the class described having a play board inclined from the horizontal and providedwith ball receiving holes, a projector for rolling balls onto the board, a movably mounted resilient member operatively associated with the board to be hit :by projected balls so that they rebound therefrom for gravitation toward said holes,`and means controlled by the dropping of a ball through a certain other hole formed through the board comprising an electrical device to move said resilient member outV ofthe path of movement of a subsequently projected ball to prevent such ball from rebounding therefrom.

4. In a gameof the class described having a play board inclined from the horizontal and provided with ball receiving holes, a projector for rolling balls onto the board, a movably mounted resilient bumper operatively associated with the board and normally'positioned to obstruct the entrance to a passageway formed on the board, said bumper in such position lying in the path of movement of theY projected balls to cause them to strike and rebound from the bumper for gravitation down the board toward the holes therein, and means operable by the dropping of a ball through a certain hole formedthrough the board to'move said bumper from its passageway obstructing position to permit ai subsequently projected ball to enter said passageway. Y f

A5. Inagame of theclass described having a play board inclined from the horizontal and provided with ball receiving holes, a projector for rolling balls onto the board, a movably mounted resilient bumper operatively associated with the board and normally positioned to obstruct the entrance to a passageway formed on the board, said bumper in such position lying in the path of movement of the projected balls to cause them to strike and rebound from the bumper for gravitation down the board toward the holes therein, A

and ball controlled electrically operable means for moving said bumper from its passageway obstructing position to permit asubsequently projected ball to enter said passageway.

6. In a game of the class described having a play board inclined from the horizontal and provided with ball receiving holes, a projector for rolling balls onto the board, a movably mounted resilient bumper operatively associated with the board and normally positioned to obstruct the entrance to a passageway formed onthe board, said bumper in such position lying in the path of movement of the projected balls to cause them to strike and rebound from the bumper for gravitation down the board toward the holes therein, means operable by the dropping of a ball through a certain hole formed through the board to move said bumper from its passageway obstructing position to permit a subsequently projected ball to enter said passageway, and a trip associated with the bumper and actuated by the ball entering said passageway to move the bumper back to its initial passageway obstructing position.

'7. In a game of the class described having a play board inclined from the horizontal and provided vwith ball receiving holes, a projector for rolling balls onto the board, a movably mounted resilient bumper operatively associated with the board and normally positioned to obstruct the `entrance to a passageway formed on the board,

said bumper in such position lying in the path of movement of the projected balls to cause them to strike and rebound from the bumper for gravitation down the board toward the holes therein, ball controlled electrical means operable to move said bumper from its passageway obstructing position to permit a subsequently projected ball to enter said passageway, and means actuated by a ball entering said passageway to move the bumper back to its passageway obstructing position.

HERBERT G. BREITENSTEIN.V 

